How many times have you started a New Year’s resolution on January 1st only to find yourself giving up or giving in only days, weeks, or months later? Perhaps this time, doing things a little different could help reap the rewards you desire.
Plan ahead and get a head start; two very wise steps in achievement. Taking the initiative to take these steps is also a sign that your interest level and determination are where they need to be. The advantage of starting early gives you the chance to adjust without the early onset of stress. It gives you room to make mistakes and to make changes without feeling a loss of time. In the beginning of any achievement, there very likely will be moments of trial and error and the need to adjust to a better way or better time. Sometimes these necessary adjustments may open the door to a desire to quit when time is of the essence. When you’re already pressed for time, the desire to quit is more likely to occur because of the disappointment you may have within for already starting late or not early enough. But when you get a head start and you’ve thought ahead about the details and expectations, you’re more willing to give yourself second chances. Starting early can ease tension and allow you to make the best use of time.
You should never start your New Year’s resolutions on the first day of the year because January 1st is a day typically filled with many different emotions from anxiety to dread to excitement. The energy these emotions take is not physically noticeable but mentally, they drain you, creating tension towards anything you try to accomplish. This is the tension that eventually causes one to give up and stop trying. But anyone who understands the significance of starting over, whether it be a new year, a new relationship, or a new lifestyle or setting, also knows there is always much to weigh. Weighing options in a new setting uses the same energy that is used trying to start the new year off right; too much of the same energy going in too many directions. This is why starting everything on the first day of the year rarely works.
If you really want your New Year’s resolutions to sustain, start now, if you haven’t already! On January 1st, you should find yourself awakening to and experiencing a smooth transition into the new year, resolutions in tow; not half awake from a drunken or lazy state, feeling like you don’t really want to make the changes anyway. Starting early also allows you to have already dealt with the negative and defeating thoughts that will come against you. These negative constraints come especially in the beginning of starting anything new which is another reason it is best to start early, before the real start date. Starting early and having already made some mistakes and already slacked off a little, you have an understanding of what works for you and what doesn’t work. Once you’ve separated what works from what doesn’t work, New Year’s Day will be nothing less than a day of excitement and determination to keep doing what you’ve already started.
The truth is deliberately waiting until January 1st to begin something new is a subtle sign that you really don’t have a strong enough desire to begin or even succeed in the first place. The subtle signs are the ones that are always missed or ignored. When you really don’t have the desire to change, having a truth moment with oneself is very important. There will always be things you need to do although you don’t want to. That is human nature and it is okay as long as you can address that truth. Even before you begin your resolution, it would behoove you to first resolve that you really don’t have the desire to do it although it is important that you do so. This will give you the chance to reflect on the importance of the changes you need to make and will also allow you to create a space of compassion for yourself. It is normal to sometimes feel like your changes are a struggle but starting early will create the opportunity to feel proud of yourself on January 1st because you’ve already begun doing the work. This proud moment will be the extra boost you’ll need to keep going into the new year.
So start your New Year’s resolutions today! There are so many rewards in starting early! There’s nothing better than getting a head start in accomplishing any goal and the biggest question really becomes: How serious are you? That is the first thing to clarify.
Wishing all a successful start to the new year BEFORE it even begins!
Regards,
Tawana R. Powell
